Snapshots
by SisterOfAnElvenWannabe
Summary: 50 words. 50 sentences. 50 moments in the lives of our favorite (or least favorite) characters. Rated T just in case. This story now comes with a challenge to my readers! (See chapter 2 for details).
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Merlin**_ **, or for that matter the** _ **Sword in the Stone.**_

 **A/N: So I read something like this for the show** _ **Leverage**_ **, and thought I'd try my hand at it for** _ **Merlin**_ **. I used a word randomizer to pick random words and wrote a sentence for each word. It was a lot harder than I expected! The only time I threw out a word was when it was a repeat, which only happened once.**

 **These sentences cover a range of genres, some are funny, some are sad, some are canon compliant ( a few are just my take on actual canon moments), some are AU, some are modern, etc. They also feature many different characters.**

 **The only pairing is Arthur/Gwen, and a tiny bit of Uther/Ygraine.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Snapshots**

 **1\. Chemistry – Gwen, Gwaine, Arthur**

Gwen didn't have a clue what Gwaine meant when he declared that she and Arthur had "chemistry", and she wasn't convinced that Gwaine knew either.

 **2\. Consideration – Arthur, Merlin**

In retrospect, Arthur thought that if the fact that the mysterious ancient sorcerers only showed up when Merlin was mysteriously absent hadn't clued him in, the fact that they both lectured him about the way he treated his servant should have.

 **3\. Era – Arthur**

As Arthur knelt before the empty throne, he wasn't sure how much of the weight of the crown resting on his head was real and how much of it was imagined

 **4\. Frequency – Merlin, Arthur, Knights of the Round Table**

It never ceased to amaze Merlin how Arthur and the others just took for granted the number of times their enemies tripped and fell while rushing towards them, or had tree branches fall on their heads.

 **5\. Applied – Gwen, Morgana**

The young girl stood nervously in the courtyard entrance, twisting a dark curl around her finger as she tried to work up the nerve to enter; the Lady Morgana needed a maid servant, and Gwen's family needed money.

 **6\. Tough - Leon**

"One day I'm going to be the toughest, bravest, strongest knight Camelot has ever seen!" the seven-year-old proclaimed, the sunlight shining off his golden curls as he held a stick aloft as if it were a sword.

 **7\. Bother – Merlin, Arthur**

"Once again I saved Arthur's life and _once again_ , he thinks I spent the day in the tavern," Merlin scowled, "Honestly, sometimes I don't know why I even bother…"

 **8\. Variable - Merlin**

Time after time, Camelot's enemies watched their best-laid plans crumble due to a single variable, yet few ever suspected that that variable was the goofy, big-eared boy who served as Arthur's manservant.

 **9\. Kid – Morgana, Arthur**

"I hate you," Morgana said, rolling her eyes, and Arthur didn't notice that while the words were delivered in the same playful tone she had used since they were children, the look in those eyes was cold and deadly serious.

 **10\. Coalition - Morgana**

"Excellent, then we have an agreement," Morgana smiled coldly at the Saxon leader; the fact that he believed that _he_ was using _her_ only made him that much easier to manipulate.

 **11\. Beer – Knights of the Round Table**

Gwaine could best any man in a one-on-one fight; the problem, Leon reflected as he and the others dragged their friend from yet another tavern, was his tendency to find the biggest man in the place, who had with him ten friends who were nearly as large, and pick a fight with him.

 **12\. Widen - Merlin**

When she saw Merlin the little Druid girl's eyes, which had previously been wide with fear, stretched even wider in awe, "You're _Emrys_!"

 **13\. Guarantee – Merlin and Arthur**

There are two things that you can always count on when it comes to Merlin and Arthur: they will never stop insulting each other and they will always be willing to die for each other.

 **14\. Coach – Arthur, Gwen**

"Guinevere is a very lucky girl," the princess murmured in Arthur's ear as he helped her into the carriage; then, laughing at the stunned look on his face, she lifted her hand in farewell and pulled the door of the carriage closed.

 **15\. Fantasy – Merlin, Arthur**

Merlin laughed quietly to himself as the credits rolled; of all the portrayals of Arthur he had seen during the centuries he waited for his king's return, the clumsy little boy named Wart had to be his favorite.

 **16\. Club - Gwaine**

Gwaine laughed, ducking as the club swung towards his head; rather than braining Gwaine as he intended, the owner of the club only succeeded in knocking out the man behind him, leaving Gwaine with one less drunken opponent to face.

 **17\. Bowel – Merlin, Kilgharrah**

The shrill cry of a newborn split the air and miles away, chained deep in the bowels of the earth underneath the castle of Camelot, the ancient dragon opened his great yellow eyes, awoken from his slumber by the knowledge that a being of great power had just come into the world.

 **18\. State – Arthur, Uther**

Sometimes Arthur felt like he couldn't even decide what to have for breakfast without his father informing him it was a grave matter of state.

 **19\. Person - Sefa, Ruadan, Arthur, Gwen**

Though her loyalty to her father never wavered, the longer Sefa remained in the palace of Camelot the more she dreaded making her reports to him; it would have been so much easier if the Pendragons were the cruel, remorseless monsters she had been taught to expect, but the longer Sefa served as the queen's handmaiden, the more she realized that the king and queen were just ordinary people, and that made her actions feel a whole lot more like betrayal.

 **20\. Assertive – Morgana, Arthur**

When Arthur was ten, he thought it would be funny to steal Morgana's doll; she responded by chasing him down, snatching the doll, hitting him over the head with it, and then pushing him into a pile of manure; needless to say, he never stole her doll again.

 **21\. Ally - Mordred, Morgana**

Mordred stared across the table at Morgana as she ranted about her desire for Arthur's death, wondering what had happened to the kind, compassionate young woman he had known when he was a child.

 **22\. Undermine – Uther, Ygraine**

"His queen is a servant girl! His knights are commoners! Arthur is undermining everything I built!" Uther ranted to his wife, whose only response was a sigh and a patient smile.

 **23\. Bill – Gwaine, Arthur**

"Don't worry about it," Gwaine sent the angry tavern owner a grin, "Just send the bill to King Arthur."

 **24\. Ignore – Merlin, Arthur**

Arthur is a good man," Merlin said quietly, then suddenly grinned, "You know, if you ignore his arrogance, and his bossiness, and his general prat-like attitude... under all that he's a good man."

 **25\. Healthy - Arthur, Gaius**

Arthur's nervous pacing came to a standstill as the door to his chambers opened and Gaius came out; the old physician smiled at the young king, "Congratulations, Sire. You have a beautiful, healthy baby girl."

 **26\. Nail - Tom, Gwen**

While visiting the marketplace with her father, Gwen was captivated by a beautiful wooden jewelry box, but it was far too expensive for her father to buy; Tom was a blacksmith, not a carpenter, but he took a break from his forge and took up a hammer and nails to build a similar box for his daughter, which he presented to her on her eighth birthday.

 **27\. Revise - Merlin, Arthur**

"I think we're going to have to revise the plan a bit!" Merlin yelled to Arthur as they raced away from the hoard of enemy knights that were currently pursuing them.

 **28\. Auction - Arthur, Knights of Camelot**

The young man had spent his life as a mercenary, auctioning off his service and fighting abilities to the highest bidder, but in Arthur Pendragon he found a king worthy of his loyalty, and in the Knights of Camelot, men that he was, for the first time in his life, proud to fight alongside.

 **29\. Gesture - Uther, Morgana**

As a king, Uther could end a man's life with a few words and a single gesture of his hand; as a powerful sorceress, Morgana could do the same.

 **30\. Light – Hunith, Merlin**

The first time Hunith saw Merlin use magic he was less than a year old; she awoke in the middle of the night to find that the air above her infant son's crib was filled balls of light in all different colors and sizes that drifted slowly through the air while in the crib little Merlin giggled happily; Hunith was filled with equal parts wonder at her son's power and terror at the thought of what might happen to him if anyone found out.

 **31\. Defend - Arthur, Gwen, Gaius, Merlin, Knights of the Round Table**

Prince Arthur was often thought of as arrogant and most of the time he was, but looking around the Round Table and knowing that each of those around it would give their lives to defend his and to defend Camelot, he could only hope that he would prove himself worthy of their loyalty.

 **32\. Referee - Knights of Camelot**

In the beginning, there was a lot of tension between _Uther's_ knights, those who had served under Arthur's father, and _Arthur's_ knights, the men who had sat around the Round Table that first night; as the only man among them who belonged to both groups, Leon felt it fell to him to keep the peace.

 **33\. Shortage - Arthur, Uther**

Arthur couldn't understand his father's refusal to even consider asking the other kingdoms for help, his father said it would be showing weakness, but all Arthur could see was that his people were suffering, suffering because of his own foolish actions, and he would do anything to stop it.

 **34\. Depressed - Arthur, Gwen**

In the months following Arthur's death, Guinevere often felt that she would smother under the weight of her despair; at the times she felt at her very lowest, she would press her hand to her growing belly and the movement she felt inside her would remind her that she still had something to live for.

 **35\. Technology – Arthur, Merlin**

When Arthur returned at long last, Merlin's first challenge was to try to explain to the Once and Future King the difference between magic and technology.

 **36\. Loud - Merlin, Arthur**

The only thing louder than Merlin's constant prattle, Arthur thought, was the silence when he wasn't there.

 **37\. Fat - Arthur, Merlin**

"I didn't say you were fat, Arthur," Merlin said in a soothing tone, trying to keep himself from grinning, "You're just... a little husky, that's all."

 **38\. Variety – Arthur, Gwen**

At the ball, countless young noblewomen in an endless variety of fancy dresses danced with Arthur, each scheming and dreaming about how they would win his hand, and none of them ever suspecting that the only woman the prince had eyes for was the serving girl in the lavender dress who stood against the wall, waiting to pour their wine when they took a break from the dancing.

 **39\. Stroll - Arthur, Gwen**

It wasn't the beauty of the palace gardens that made the walk so extraordinary, or the sweet aroma of flowers that made Gwen's heart swell with happiness; it was the feeling of Arthur's hand entwined with hers, and the knowledge that they would never again have to hide their feelings for each other.

 **40\. Thirsty – Merlin**

The first night after Gaius gave Merlin the spell book, he stayed up for hours reading it, his mind and soul thirsty for the knowledge it contained; he knew that he started work tomorrow and he should get some sleep, but he couldn't help himself.

 **41\. First - Arthur, Gwen**

The moment was a first for Arthur, not the first time he had kissed a woman, but the first time it had ever meant anything.

 **42\. Routine - Gaius, Merlin**

Sometimes it worried Gaius how his ward could wave off concern about risking his life as if it was as much a part of his daily schedule as mucking out the stables.

 **43\. Contrary - Leon**

No one ever knew how deeply it affected Leon when the Druids saved his life; he had been raised to believe that magic was evil, but the actions of the Druids forced him to reevaluate everything he had been taught.

 **44\. Fisherman - Arthur, Merlin**

The old man cast out his fishing line then turned to smile at the little boy next to him, "You know I've seen some funny things out on this lake, why, out there on that island in the middle I once saw a man dressed up like a real knight in shining armor, sword and everything, kept yelling for someone named Merlin..."

 **45\. Gravel - Mordred**

He didn't know how long he ran, fleeing through the forest with a terrible mixture of fear, anger and grief filling him, before he came to a sudden stop in a clearing, crashing to the ground as his legs gave out under him, weak from all the running; for a moment he crouched there on the grass, his breath coming in sharp pants, then suddenly he let out a wordless cry, giving voice to the grief and anger that raged through him, and as his young voice echoed around the clearing his eyes flashed gold and a boulder nearby exploded into a shower of dust and pebbles.

 **46\. Plug - Merlin**

There was no hope, the doctors said, and the order was given to pull the plug, to stop life support in the morning; the little girl's exhausted, grieving mother, who couldn't help but fall asleep for a few precious minutes in the early hours of the morning, awoke to find her daughter sitting up in bed and smiling at her; no one knew what to make of the child's sudden recovery, or of her claim of having been visited by an angel with blue eyes and big ears.

 **47\. Conservative - Arthur, Uther**

Arthur sometimes felt as if he had spent his entire reign making choices his father would never have approved of, allowing men who were not of noble blood to be knights, marrying Guinevere... and now he was about to do something that he knew his father would never have forgiven him for... he was going to legalize magic.

 **48\. Bathtub - Gwen**

"Your bath is ready, my lady," Gwen turned at the sound of the young servant girl's voice, giving her a nod and a smile as she thanked her, and wondering as she did whether she would ever get used to being waited on or being addressed as my lady; despite the fancy gowns and expensive jewels she now wore, she still felt far more like Gwen the serving girl than Queen Guinevere.

 **49\. Brand - Mordred**

Mordred stared at his reflection, struck by how strange it felt to see himself dressed as he was, he had never once imagined that he would find himself standing where he was today; unconsciously he brought his hand up to touch the spot where his Druid mark lay, hidden under his armor, and a wry smile touched his face, _A Druid a knight of Camelot..._ no one _would have ever imagined this._

 **50\. Heel - Arthur, Gwen**

It was the same every time Arthur arrived home from a trip, no matter how long he'd been gone: before he could even reach the castle doors, his daughter would charge out to meet him, her dark curls bouncing as she ran, and her brother would follow, close at her heels, his blonde hair lit up by the sunlight; they would throw their arms around him, gazing up at their father with bright, joy-filled eyes, the boy's the same warm brown as his mother's, the girl's as blue as Arthur's own, and behind them, Gwen would follow, her pace slower and calmer than her children's, but her smile no less warm, and her eyes just as bright.

 **Well I hope you enjoyed these little mini-stories. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Which did you like best? Which didn't you like? What do you think of this story style? Whatever your thoughts, I'd like to hear them!**


	2. Challenge!

**The challenge: choose one of my "Snapshots" sentences and use it as a prompt for a longer piece, either a one-shot, or even if you want a multi-chapter story.**

 **There aren't any restrictions per say, but be aware if the story is M-rated I won't read it. I also don't read slash, or most things that interfere with canon pairings. But anything else, if you write it I will read it and leave a review!**

 **The powers-that-be of fanfiction have declared that chapters that are just A/N's are not allowed and a story must have at least three sentences, so here is a limerick for you:**

There once was a young king named Arthur

Who would always push himself to go farther

He took Gwen as his wife

She was the love of his life

And by her nickname he rarely did call her


End file.
